Branding-machine.



T. NYGAARD.

BRANDING MACHINE.

APPLIUATION FILED 00114, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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Patented Apr. 15,1913.

T. NYGALARD.`

BRANDING MACHINE.

APPLIUATION FILED 001214. 1911.

1,059,31 1; Patented Apr. 15,1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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T. NYGAARI).

BRANDING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED 001214, 1911.

1,059,311'. Panama Apr.15,`1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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t UNITED STATES; OFFICE,

THOMAS N YG-AARD; OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA,l ASSIGNOR 0F ONEJ-IALF TO ARMIN" L.` NEUBERT, MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.`

BRANDINGMACHINE. 1

bottles, it being; customary to brand a date or other mark on theliningpreparatory to `sealing the bottles.` v

A further `object isto provide a machine in which the branding will be accurately and quickly performed and without any `attention except tto ,fill the hopper with the bottle caps.

My invention consists generally in various constructions and combinations, all as `hereinafter `described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanyingl drawingsforming part of this specification, Figure 1 is `a side elevation of a branding machine embodying my invention, the hopper wall being `broken away, illustrating themeans foridirecting the caps to the `feeding mechanism of the machine, Fig. 2 is aidetail viewlof the feeding apparatus, Fig. 3` is a detail sectional view showingthe manner lof` mounting the branding iron, andthe `mechanism for operating the same, showingthe iron in the act of branding the cork lining of the cap, Fig. 4 is a view showing the branding iron in its retracted position, Fig.` 5 is adetail sectional view `of the branding; iron,`show` ing the construction of the burner,F ig. 6 is a detail view of theiratchet mechanism by which the movement of the branding iron is controlled7 Fig. `7 is a detail view of a portion of one of thebottleicaps, show ing the brandburnt into theilining thereof.

In the drawing, 2 represents a suitable frame supporting a hopper 3 of` ordinary construction.

4 is a driven shaft, having.V the customary fixed and loose pulleys `5 and Gand provided with a gear 7 `meshing `witha pinion 8 on a short shaft 9. A` pin 10 is mounted on the gear 7 in positionto engage an arm 11 and rock an agitator 12 that is mounted on the wall of` the hopper :and is normally held at the limit of its movement in one direction by a spring 13. A guide 14, prefn erably` of sheet metal, is mounted on the Specication of Letters Patent. Patented Api'.` 15,191 l Application tiled October 14, 1911. Serial 1No; 654,673.`

`wall of the hopper and operates to direct:

the caps 1toward the agitator and prevent them fromclogging in the passage leading tothe distributing device 15. This dis-` tributinggdevice is of ordinary, well-known construction and as I `make no claim to itl herein I have not thought it necessary to illustrateior; describe itin detail. It is plovided', however, with a channel 1G in which the caps are received edgewise, and at the bottom is aivertical way 17 forming a 1continuation` of the channel. In this way `the caps descend and slide downward by gravity.` At the lower portion of this Way is a branding device which forms the principal subject matter of my present invention;

A shaft 18 has bearings at one end in the wa 17 and `at its other end in a hanger` 19, anc aretardingratchet 2O is providedjto prevent` the shaft from rotating too far `dur-` ing the `feeding operation. A shaft 21 is journaled in the lower portion of the way 17 and a lever 22 is loosely mounted at one end onsaid shaft and extends across the machine and is connected by a pitman rod 23 with a :crank 24 on the inion 8; An arm 25 has a slotted connection at `26 with the lever 22 and is pivotally connected to one end of a lever 27 that is loosely mounted on the shaft 18 and carries a dog28` which engages :the teeth of a ratchet i29` that is secured on said shaft, so thatthe rocking `of the lever 27 through the movement `of `the lever 22zwill havethe effect of rotating the shaft 18 with a step bystep; movement. `A star Wheel 30 is mounted on the `shaft 18 within the way 17 and this star wheel 30 has recesses between its points of sufficient size to receive a cap, as shown in Fig. 2, the revolution of the Wheel operating to discharge the caps, one at a time,

from the `Way through the opening 31,1as i fastas the branding operation is completed. 32 `is an arm `rigidly `mounted on the shaft 21 and having a socket to receive the brand ing e burner. This burner consists of l a sleeve 33 `having a burner nozzle 34 in which is mounted a' branding die 35; A gas pipe or tube 36 projects into the sleeve 33 and is carriedby a mixing valve 37 that is supported by `a bracket 38 from the frame of the machine. A tube 39 supplies gas to the valve 37 and a tube 40 supplies compressed air to a valve 41 that communicates with a t valve 37 through a smaller tube 42. The

'air andy kgasfmiXed inthe valve 37 are ignited in the burner and forni a blast flame which heats the end of the burner and the the purpose of swinging it to its branding position I prefer to mount an arm 43 on the shaft 21 and yieldingly connect it with the lever 22 by a spring 44, so that as the lever swings 4down. it will rock the shaft 21 and swing the arm- 32 to its'brandingsposition. I "prefer also to mount a set screw 45 in the arm 43in the path of the lever 22, so that on the upward or'return movement of the lever 22 the shaft 21 will be rocked in the other direction and `the branding iron returned to its normal position, in case it should not do so when the tension on the spring4 44- is released. I, prefer also Lto mount a `bracket 88 in the bearings 47` which will allow it to swing back and forth to adjust the valves and tubes connected therewith to the desired position, the bracket being held in its adjusted position by means of the adjusting screwr 48.

In the operation `of the machine the 'caps are fed down by gravity in a continuous stream, one cap riding upon another with the under or. lining lside of the cap exposed to the branding iron. v At the point where the caps engage the st-ar wheel the movement of each cap will be temporarily- `checked while the branding iron is burning the brand in the cork lining. This operation is almost instantaneous, so that the passage of the capsy through the Wayland out ofthe machine will be practically continuous and uninterrupted.

In various ways the details of construction may be modified without departing from the scope of my invention.

I claim` as my invention.:-

p 1. The combination, with a way adapted to receive bottle caps and means for supplying caps thereto, of a branding nozzle having ga branding die, means for supplying gas under pressure to said nozzle, saidmeans including `a valve, ajgas pipe communicating therewith, a compressed air pipe communicatingwith said valve, a flexible connection betweeni said valve and said nozzle, and means for actuating said nozzle to brand `the cap.

lunderpressure to said nozzle, said means 2. The combination, with a.. Way'adapted l to receive bottle caps and means for supplying `caps thereto, of a branding nozzle having a brandingdie, means for supplying gask includinga valve, agas pipe communicabing therewith, a compressed 'air pipe communicating with said valve, flexible means` .leading from said ,valve to rsaid nozzle,f a

pivoted bracketwhereon said valve is supported, and means forfactuating saidnozzle to brand the cap. h L

3'. The combination', [with a.r wayand meansn for feeding bottle caps thereto, of ai rock shaft, an arm mountedI thereon, a burner carriedbyxsaid arm and having av ybranding die, a seco-nd arm mounted ronsaid shaft, a lever loosely mounted on said shaft and having a yielding connection withv said second arin,\means for oscillating saidflever 'Z5 y to rock said shaft'and arms and move said die into contact `with thecap lining.

4. The `combination, with ka way an means for feeding; bottle capsthereto, of a rock shaft, an arm mounted thereon,v a burner carried by said arm and havinga brandingdie, a second arm mounted on said v shaft, a leverlooselymounted on said shaft and ihaving a yielding connection with said second arm, a. set screw mounted in said second arm inthe path of` said lever, means for oscillating said lever tok rock said shaft and arms and move v.said die 'into Contact with the cap lining, and means for tempo,- rarily arrestingmovement of the 'caps during thebranding operation.

5. The combination, .with a way and means for feedingbottle caps thereto, of a rock shaft, a'n arm mounted thereon, a

burner `carried by said arm and .having-a 95 brandingdie, a second arm mounted onsaid shaft, a lever loosely mounted on said shaft andy l'iavinga yielding connection with said second arm, means for oscillating said lever to rock said shaft and armsand move said 100 die into contact with thecap lining,sai.d second arm having means in the path of said leverfor positively returning said nozzle to its retracted position.

In witness whereof, 'I have hereunto set 105 Copies` of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the f Commissioner ofPatents..

' Washington, D. C. 

